State Aid Stays Flat for Local School Districts

State aid for the Washington Township and West Morris Regional school districts remained flat from 2012 to 2013, as figures were released Thursday afternoon.

The Washington Township School district will receive $7,997,562 for the 2013-14 school year, the same amount it received for the 2012-13 school year. That figure, however, was a 5.6-percent increase from the 2011-12 school year when the district received $7,166,698.

The West Morris Regional High School District will receive $4,369,441 in state aid, the same as the year prior. That figure was a 7.7-percent increase from the $4,056,834 in 2011-12.

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The figure released Thursday was what the district was expecting, Business Administrator Liz George said.

West Morris Regional Business Administrator Doug Pechanec was not immediately available for comment.

The 2013-14 aid package is the largest amount every released by the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Education, with nearly $9 billion going to public schools, an increase of $97.3 million from the previous year.

“Throughout my time in office I have continuously argued that in order to grow New Jersey’s economy we must invest in education, and my proposed budget is a reflection of my commitment to our educational system and communities across the state,” said Governor Chris Christie in a statement. “However, even as we continue to fund education at the highest levels in state history, we must remain willing to reflect on how we are spending our money and work towards solutions that make every dollar we invest count.”

It is also the third consecutive year overall aid has increased, the DOE said.

Tentative budgets are due to county superintendent offices by March 8 for districts that moved their elections to November.